Aromatic and savory is why you will want to try this delightfully rich flavored dish where the sausage, apple, and balsamic vinegar are all stars. When I set out writing the recipe for this dish, I was a bit skeptical how the apples will work. The idea for this dish came from seeing sausage dishes that had grapes on some restaurant menus and I did see one of my favorite chefs, Ina Garten, make a roasted sausage and grape recipe.
Wow – am I glad I made this dish? Yes. Yes. Yes. The enticing aroma bought the whole family to the kitchen asking, “What smells so good?” I’m glad I used Granny Smith apples – it has a tarty-sweetness compared to grapes and it complemented the spiciness of the sausage perfectly. The apples were nice and soft and the sweet-tart flavor of balsamic vinegar really added more depth to the turkey sausage – Heavenly indeed. The steps are simple and easy to follow. I usually serve this as an appetizer, however, it can also be served with your favorite pasta.
I encourage you to try this easy dish. Your feedback, comments or questions is appreciated. Don’t want to miss a beat of what Heavenly tasting recipes are cooking up in Juliet Kitchen, sign up for email updates at the bottom of the page. Thanks for visiting.
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Fresh Turkey Sausage with Apples and Balsamic Vinegar Reduction
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh turkey hot sausage (about 6 links)
- 1 Granny Smith apple cored and diced
- 1 small yellow onion thinly sliced
- 2 cloves fresh garlic thinly sliced
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary (about 6 inches long and cut in two)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra vigin olive oil
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- juice from 1/2 a fresh lime
Instructions
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Butterfly the Turkey Sausage (Use a knife to cut the sausage down the middle but do not cut all the way through. Using your two hands gently spread the two parts flat).
Note: Fresh turkey sausage is very delicate. It also has a very thin casing that you can leave on or gently remove before splitting it into two).
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In a saute pan, heat two tablespoons olive oil over medium-high flame. Add the turkey sausages in a single layer. Brown the sausage on both sides (about two to three minutes per side). Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.
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Reduce the flame to medium. In the same pan heat one tablespoon olive oil.
Add the sliced onions and rosemary sprigs.Sauté for three minutes.
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Add the apples, sliced garlic, salt and black pepper. Sauté for about one minute.
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Add the balsamic vinegar and lime juice. Stir with a wooden spoon scraping up any remaining brown bits. Bring to a quick boil.
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Add the sausage, coating each side with the vinegar and onion, apple mixture. Reduce the flame to low simmer and cover the pan with a tight lid.
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Cook for 25 minutes and flip the sausage half way through the cooking. The balsamic vinegar will be nicely reduced to almost nothing.
Note: The aroma is incredibly enticing.
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Plate, serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
For this recipe, I used hot Italian Sausages - the spiciness coupled with the sweetness of the apples and the acidity of the vinegar creates an awesome sweet and slightly spicy texture on your palate. You can certainly substitute mild sausages if spicy isn't your thing.
You can also substitute red wine vinegar for a lighter complexity.
Use organic products if you can.
